Graduate comes home to Pacific Studies

When Cyrus Meredith Melhuish, 23, crossed the stage at Spark Arena on Thursday 7 May, it marked a journey shaped by the legacy of his great-grandparents.

Born and raised in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, Cyrus is of Sāmoan, Tokelauan, Portuguese and British heritage, with family connections to the villages of Togafuafua, Fuipu’a on Upolu, and Leone on Tutuila.

He graduated from the University of Auckland with a Bachelor of Arts degree, majoring in Politics and International Relations, and Asian Studies; a milestone he once doubted reaching.

An old head on young shoulders, forging friendships with his peers had always proved challenging, leaving his secondary school days isolating and emotionally exhausting. University life was no different.

Starting his degree during the COVID pandemic intensified his sense of isolation. Classes moved online, opportunities to connect slipped away, he took a semester off and contemplated dropping out altogether. His family encouraged him to keep going.

It wasn’t until he encountered Pacific Studies in his final year that something shifted. He found a learning environment that not only centred his interests in geopolitics, but also a community with shared connections.

Then came his first trip home to Sāmoa last year with his family, it was an opportunity to retrace the steps of his late Sāmoan great-grandparents Akenese and Felise Vave Leavai Meleisea.

“My great-grandfather was a high chief. He brought our entire family to New Zealand when my grandmother was just a teenager. That move gave us all a great start, I’m grateful to be part of their legacy.”

That legacy also includes his big sister Courtney Sina Meredith, a renowned poet and writer. She was named the University’s Young Alumna of the Year in 2021, the same year Cyrus began studying toward his degree.

“I was just a toddler the first time I came onto campus with my sister for her first day with our Mum. So it’s like I’ve been coming to the University my whole life,” he recalls.

Today, Cyrus works as a Graduate Teaching Assistant in Pacific Studies at the University of Auckland - a role he describes as unexpected and transformative. Supporting students, particularly Māori and Pacific learners, helped him recognise the value of his own journey and voice.

The university experience has changed the young man he once was; no longer questioning the point of an education, Cyrus has become a graduate contributing meaningfully to the University.

Grateful to the village that helped him cross the finish line including his family, Cyrus also paid special tribute to Associate Professor Caroline Vercoe for walking beside him during the undergraduate journey.

He also acknowledged Pacific Studies lecturer Dr Sarah McLean-Orsborn, it was her paper The Contemporary Pacific that ignited an interest to pursue postgraduate studies, with a view to research on the Pacific.

Special mention was also made to Dr Changzoo Song, Xiyuan Hu, Dr Haiying Hou, Dr Farrah Jabeen, and Fang Tuigamala.

“I especially want to thank my great-grandparents for giving us such a privileged life, for having the vision and courage to leave everything they knew to provide us with a strong start.”

Cyrus hopes to travel before he enrols in postgraduate study and heads back to the books.